On January 24, 2025, the Pretoria High Court declared six
regulations governing the SRD grant unconstitutional and invalid.
This decision has significant implications for the administration
of the SRD grant, which was introduced in 2020 as an emergency
response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The court found that the online-only application process, the
R624.00 monthly income threshold, the grant's value, the
definition of "income" and "financial
support," the checks against databases indicating income
or alternative financial assistance, and the restriction on
unsuccessful applicants from relying on new information or evidence
in an appeal were unconstitutional. Judge Twala highlighted that
the online-only application process excluded individuals without
access to smartphones, computers, or the internet,
disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as the elderly
and those in rural areas. The court noted that "there was
no reasonable justification to subject
